Golf training machine

ABSTRACT

A golf training machine, which mainly includes three parts: a stance stage device that practitioner can stand on; a ball-hit device that links to the stance stage device while their relative locations are adjustable; and a ball-supply device that links to the ball-hit device. Wherein, the stance stage further includes a stance plate, the inclination of stance plate is adjustable such that the practitioner simulates various terrains around golf course through slanting of the stance plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a golf training machine. More specifically, it is a golf training machine which can simulate the real terrain around golf course.

2) Description of the Prior Art

Playing golf is a recreational sport that demands high technique. One who had never been trained generally had to practice his golf skill at the driving range before playing in a golf course. However, the market available training machines for practicing golf skill are diverse, which include training machines for practicing swing, training machines for practicing putt, and training machines for putting on the green. All these training machines feature that the practitioner is confined to stand on a horizontal plane, even though the actual terrain on a golf course is irregular rather than horizontal ground. Consequently, when a beginner plays golf in a golf course, it is frequently difficult for him to get a good tournament result because the influence of irregular terrain. However, there is no market available training machine that can simulate the irregular terrain of golf course and support the training of golf practitioners.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned deficiency. To avoid the deficiency, the present invention introduces s a stance stage with adjustable inclination for simulating the irregular terrain around an actual golf course. The practitioners thus can swing on the stance stage device as if they swing on all sorts of terrain.

Another objective of the present invention is to combine stance stage device, ball-hit device, and ball-supply device into a golf training machine for training practitioners.

A further objective of the present invention is to present a design which including poke rods of ball-supply device and ball-deploy panel to smooth the supply of ball, and further reach the goal of automatic control.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to adjust the relative distance between standing position and hitting position of practitioners in accordance with their bodily form or habit.

The detailed descriptions as well as the technical contents of the present invention shall be given with the accompanying drawings hereunder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a pictorial drawing of outward appearance according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational drawing showing the structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a pictorial drawing showing the top view according to the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a pictorial drawing showing the action of laterally inclined stance plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 4B is a pictorial drawing showing the action of moving up/down control set 14 according to the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a pictorial drawing showing the action of lengthwise inclined stance plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a pictorial drawing showing the action of moving up/down control set 15 according to the present invention.

FIG. 5C is a pictorial drawing that shows adjusting the inclination of hitting stage and stance plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a pictorial drawing that shows the structure of ball-hit device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a pictorial drawing that shows the operation of feeding ball according to the present invention.

FIG. 6C is another pictorial drawing that shows the operation of feeding ball according to the present invention.

FIG. 6D is a further pictorial drawing that shows the operation of feeding ball according to the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a pictorial drawing that shows the operation of ball-hit stage and feeding ball according to the present invention.

FIG. 7B is another pictorial drawing that shows the operation of ball-hit stage and feeding ball according to the present invention.

FIG. 7C is a further pictorial drawing that shows the operation of ball-hit stage and feeding ball according to the present invention.

FIG. 7D is a pictorial drawing that shows the operation of ball stand after hitting according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, which shows the pictorial drawing of outward appearance and exploded structure according to the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the present invention includes three major parts: a stance stage device 1, a ball-hit device 2, and a ball-supply device 3, in which the stance stage device 1 is used such that the practitioner can stand on it, ball-hit device 2 is linked to the stance stage device 1, and the ball-hit device 2 can be operated relative to the stance stage device 1 and moved in parallel, the ball-supply device 3 is linked to the other side of ball-hit device 2 in order to supply golf ball to the ball-hit device.

The stance stage device 1 mentioned above includes: first support 11, which is a cross-shaped support, and on its two near ends a carrier 111 and a carrier 112 are separately installed to carry motors 141, 151; second support 12, which is also a cross-shaped support and is installed above the first support 11. Support 11 and support 12 are linked at their cross points, and a linking buffer component 13 is supplied at that linking location such that second support 12 is situated above first support 11. Further, the link slot 121 and link slot 122 of second support 12, which correspondingly situated above the ends of carrier 111, 112 of first support 11, are supplied to install link component 144, 154, which are controlled by the motor 141, 151 of first and second control set 14, 15, such that second support 12 can be forward, backward, left, or right inclined in a seesaw style, and user can therefore simulate the gradient around a golf course when he stands on the stage device 1.

The stance plate 16 is installed on the said second support 12.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, which shows the action of stance plate 16 according to the present invention when laterally inclined and when moved up/down, wherein the first control set 14 is used to control lateral inclination toward left or right. The first control set 14 is installed on the carrier 111 of the first support 11 and is linked to the link slot 121 of the second support 12, in order to control the inclination of the second support 12 with respect to the first support 11. The first control set 14 includes: a motor 141, a lengthwise axis control key set 142 (installed on the stance plate 16) for controlling the status of operation, a drive component 143 which is driven by motor 141, a link component 144 which is linked by the drive component 143, and a buffer component 145 which is assembled to the link component 144, in which the motor 141 is installed on the carrier 111 such that the link component 144, which is controlled by the drive component 143 for moving up/down, controls the linked inclination of buffer component 145 and the second support 12.

Referring to FIGS. 5A˜5C, which are pictorial drawings showing the action of lengthwise inclined stance plate, the action of moving up/down control set 15, and adjusting the inclination of hitting stage and stance plate according to the present invention. The second control set 15 for controlling the forward and backward inclination of stance plate 16 is installed on the carrier 112 of the first support 11 and is linked to the link slot 122 of the second support 12, in order to the inclination of the second support 12 with respect to the first support 11. The second control set 15 includes: a motor 151, a lengthwise axis control key set 152 (installed on the stance plate 16) for controlling the status of operation, a drive component 153 driven by the motor 151, a link component 154 linked by drive component 153, and a buffer component 155, which is assembled to the link component 154; in which the motor 151 is installed on the carrier 112 such that the link component 154, which is controlled by the drive component 153 for moving up/down, controls the linked inclination of buffer component 155 and the second support 12. When the stage of stance plate 16 is tilted, the ball-hit base 21 linked by pivot 161, guide plate 163, and pivot 162 keeps horizontal. The reason is that, when stance plate 16 is tilted, pivot 162 works as a center such that guide plate 163 can compensate the distance generated by inclination, and through the pivoting of pivot 161, the horizontality of ball-hit base 21 is thus kept even if stance plate 12 is tilted.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6A, the ball-hit device 2 includes: a ball-hit base 21, a ball-hit stage 22, a ball-feed device 23 for feeding golf ball 4 to ball-hit stage 22, a ball-deploy device 24 for delivering golf ball 4, and a ball-guide pipe 237 for linking to ball-supply device 3. One side of the ball-hit base 21 is connected to stance plate 16 through pivot 162, guide plate 163, and pivot 161 in order to keep ball-hit base 21 horizontal when stance plate 16 is tilted. On the ball-hit base 21 a ball-hit stage 22 is installed. On the ball-hit stage 22 a round hole 224 which is correspondent to the hole 213 of ball-hit base 21 is provided such that the golf ball 4 can be delivered upwards for hitting, and on the ball-hit stage 22 four rollers are installed with respect to the ball-hit base 21 such that the ball-hit stage 22 slides on the ball-hit base 21, and thus varies between low-position swing and T-shot (high-position swing). More over, a front latch object 221 and a back latch object 222 are respectively installed at the front and back ends beneath ball-hit stage 22, The front latch object 221 corresponds to long hole 214 and is locked to screw 2221. The back latch object 222 corresponds to long hole 215 and provides a recover spring 212 for fixing to latch seat 216 of ball-hit base 21 in order to serves as a reciprocating mechanism for sliding ball-hit stage 22 back and forth. Further, at one side beneath the ball-hit stage 22 a slope guide sheet 223 is provided. The slope guide sheet 223 corresponds to the slide block 232 of ball-feed device 23 through long slot 217. When slide block 232 is moved up/down (to deliver golf ball 4 upwards), the slope guide sheet 223 is driven back and forth, and thus controls the variation between low-position swing and T-shot (high-position swing) for user's hitting.

Wherein, the ball-feed device 23 includes a motor which is controlled by a control circuit 230, in which a pulley 2311 is installed on the motor 231, and a link wire 2312 on the pulley 2311 is fixed on the slide block 232, wherein slide block 232 is installed on the support rod 232 outside the pipe object 234 in order to slide up/down, while two sensors 235, 236 are installed above for displacement adjusting of low-position swing and high-position swing, and a control key set 239 installed on the stance plate 16 is used to control the scenario that user wants to simulate. Above the pipe object 234 a guide via 2340 is provided in order to link a track 238 such that golf ball 4 can pass through, wherein the track 238 is provided for linking ball-feed device 23 and ball-deploy device 24 such that the golf ball 4 fed from ball-supply device 3 can be guided into ball-deploy device 24 by way of ball-guide pipe 237 and then reach ball-feed device 23.

The ball-deploy device 24 is box 240 in which a shaft 242 and four associated rod objects 243 are provided, wherein the shaft 242 is driven by the motor 241 outside the box 240. When shaft 242 rotates, the golf ball 4 guided in by the ball-guide pipe 237 that locates beneath can be delivered through rod objects 243 to the track 238 that locates above, and then sent to ball-feed device 23; wherein, on the track 238 a sensor 2381 is installed at a location with span of three balls for controlling the delivering operation of motor such that at least three golf balls 4 stay in the track 238.

Ball-supply device 3 is a seat object 30, on which an enclosure 31 is provided to form a basin for collecting golf balls 4, in which a bottom plate 32 is installed inside the seat object 30, and at the low-lying position of bottom plate 32 a ball-guide outlet 321 is provided to link to the ball-guide pipe 237. Under the bottom plate 32 a motor 33 is installed to control the rotation of poke rod 311 in the ball-collect basin. Poke rod 311 is used to prevent multiple balls in ball-collect basin from jamming and accordingly insures the golf balls 4 can be sent to ball-guide pipe 237 through ball-guide outlet 321.

Referring to FIG. 6B˜6D, which is a pictorial drawing that shows the operation of feeding ball. The motor 231 of ball-feed device 23 is controlled by a control circuit 230. The motor 231 has a pulley 2311 which drives the fixed slide block 232 of a link wire 2312. The slide block 232 is installed on the support rod 233 outside the pipe object 234 in order to slide up/down. Also, the slide block 232 is linked to the bottom seat 2341 inside pipe object 234, where the bottom seat 2341 is shaped polygon (as shown in FIG. 7D) and a ball stand 2342 is installed inside. The ball stand 2342 is used to hold golf ball 4 and a sensor 2345 is installed at its bottom to notify for resending ball when a ball has been hit. Above the pipe object 234 a via 2340 is provided to link to a track 238 for guiding a golf ball. On the track a sensor 2381 is installed at a location with span of three balls for controlling the delivering operation of motor 241 in the ball-deploy device 24 such that at least three golf balls 4 stay in the track 238. Under the via 2340 a gate 2343 is provided, where the gate 2343 is linked to bottom seat 2341. When ball stand 2342 is empty, the bottom seat 2341 moves down to a certain depth, the gate 2343 is pulled down to allow ball rolling in, the resist rod 2344 above the via 2340 is then closed after releasing ball to prevent another ball from rolling down, and thus completes the delivering of golf ball.

Referring to FIGS. 7A˜7D, which are pictorial drawings demonstrating the operations of feeding ball and ball-hit stage. Above the pipe object 234 as aforementioned two sensors 235, 236 are installed. One of these two sensors is higher while the other is lower in order to control the displacement adjusting for low-position swing and high-position swing when slide block 232 is moved up/down. On the slide block 232 a rod object 2321 is installed. When slide block 232 is moved upwards the slope guide sheet 223 at bottom of the ball-hit stage 22 is linked and moved back and forth such that the ball-hit stage 22 is moved forward, the user therefore can simulate the swing of low-position. However, the slope route of slope guide sheet 223 is provided simply for controlling sliding of ball-hit stage 22 during low-position swing. In other words, the ball-hit stage 22 does not slide during T-shot (high-position swing). Instead, the rod object 2321 of slide block 232 slides into one side of slope guide sheet 223, and simply pushes the golf ball 4 to a height for high-position swing. After hitting, the sensor 2345 at the ball stand 2342 of bottom seat 2341 can tell whether the ball is hit and call for a reloading of ball. The bottom seat 2341 is shaped polygon and a recovery spring 23411 is installed inside in order to recover and keep the verticality of the bottom seat as well as to wait for the falling of next ball after a ball is hit. When the slide block 232 is moved downwards, by way of fixed recovery spring 212 that installed on the back latch object 222 to the latch seat 216 of ball-hit base 21, the ball-hit stage 22 is recovered to original position and waits for next operation of moving upwards.

In summary, the three major parts according to the present invention are: stance stage device 1, ball-hit device 2, and ball-supply device 3, which introduces an invention that the practitioners can simulate irregular terrain around the actual golf course, and the practitioners can perform better at the actual golf course after practicing. 

1. A golf training machine, which includes a stance stage device that practitioner can stand on, a ball-hit device that links to the stance stage device and their relative positions are adjustable, and a ball-supply device that links to the ball-hit device; wherein, the stance stage device includes a stance plate and its inclination is adjustable such that the practitioner simulates the irregular terrain in a golf course by way of adjusting the inclination of the stance plate; wherein, the stance plate further includes: a first support, which serves as a base for whole stance stage; a second support, which locates above and corresponds to the first support, and a link is provided at the corresponding center in order to perform forward, backward, left, or right inclination in a seesaw style; two control sets, which are respectively installed at two orthogonal ends, for controlling the forward, backward, left, or right inclination of the second support with respect to the first support; and carriers, which are installed at two ends of the first support for installing control set, and control set is fixed to the link slot on the second support in order to control the inclination of whole stance stage device.
 2. A golf training machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first support and the second support are cross-shaped while both take the cross point as a link point, and a linking buffer component is provided at the said link point.
 3. A golf training machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control set includes: a motor, which is the driving source for drive component; a control key set, which controls the operation of motor; a drive component, which is driven by motor and drives the link component; a link component, which is fixed on the linking buffer component of the second support; a buffer component, which is a flexibility-rich material, and is fixed to link control set and the second support; in which the control set is used to control the lengthwise inclination of stance stage device, and links to the link slot of the second support on the carrier of the first support, in order to control the inclination of the second support with respect to the first support.
 4. A golf training machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ball-hit device includes: a ball-hit base, which is provided for placing ball-hit stage, and includes rollers, long slot, and long hole such that the ball-hit stage moves forward or backward; a ball-hit stage, which slide forward or backward by way of rollers on the ball-hit stage, and beneath which a front latch object and a back latch object are respectively installed at the front and back end, wherein the front latch object corresponds to long hole and locks to a screw, while the back latch object corresponds to the long hole and provides a recovery spring which is fixed to the latch seat of ball-hit base in order to serve as a reciprocating mechanism for sliding ball-hit stage forwards or backwards; Further a slope guide sheet is provided at one side beneath the ball-hit stage, which corresponds to the slide block of ball-feed device by way of long slot, such that the slope guide sheet is driven forwards/backwards when slide block is moved up/down, and thus controls the variation between high-position swing and low-position swing during hitting; a ball-feed device, which is controlled by a motor through a control circuit, in which the motor provides a pulley and a link wire and is fixed on a slide block, the slide block slides up/down in a pipe object, above which two sensors are installed for adjusting the displacement between high-position swing and low-position swing; further, a via is installed above the pipe object to link a track for guiding input of the golf ball, in which the track links the ball-feed device and ball-deploy device; a ball-deploy device, which includes a motor, a shaft, and a box, wherein four distinct rod objects are installed on the shaft to transmit the guided ball below to track above and then to ball-feed device.
 5. A golf training machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ball-supply device is formed into a ball-collect basin by surrounding wall on a base object, in which a bottom plate is installed inside the seat object, and a ball-guide outlet is provided at the low-lying position on the seat object in order to link to the ball-guide pipe, and beneath the bottom plate a motor is provided to control the rotation of poke rod, such that the golf ball going from ball-guide outlet reaches ball-deploy device through ball-guide pipe. 